Highway described as ‘dangerous'

Monday

Feb 18, 2013 at 9:39 PM

Police have not determined what caused a crash on La. 182 near Coteau Road that claimed three lives and sent another to the hospital with severe injuries, but the consensus among drivers is the highway is not safe at night.

Katie UrbaszewskiStaff Writer

Police have not determined what caused a crash on La. 182 near Coteau Road that claimed three lives and sent another to the hospital with severe injuries, but the consensus among drivers is the highway is not safe at night.Juan Martinez-Silva, 56, of Lockport, crossed the La. 182 centerline about 9 p.m. Sunday and collided head-on with Belinda Leonard, 48, of Raceland, and her passengers John Steve, 34, of Raceland, and Natasha Rogers, 28, of Gray, State Police said.Martinez-Silva and Leonard were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Steve died while being taken to the hospital, and Rogers is still in the hospital with severe injuries.Those injured in the crash "were trapped in the car for a while. They had to be extricated," said Trooper Evan Harrell, State Police spokesman."The oncoming traffic blinds you because a lot of people drive with their brights on," said Brittany Authement, 21, a cashier at Lucky's Casino near that intersection. "After two or three seconds, I'm seeing spots."Authement looked out at the 5 p.m. Monday traffic as she explained that when she stops to turn into the casino, she worries about both the drivers behind her who might not stop and the drivers in the oncoming lane who might speed up."They're not looking for you," Authement said.Tarrasa Mott, of Lockport, said she doesn't often drive down La. 182, but her husband does for work. Mott is from a rural town in Arkansas, and she said she's familiar with dark, winding roads."But I would much rather swerve and miss a deer than fall into a swamp," said Mott, who added she would appreciate guard railings. "Water fills in faster than dirt."Mott said La. 182 is "very dangerous.""I can't even tell you how many accidents I've seen along that road," she said.Harrell said the most dangerous thing about La. 182 is drunk drivers because there's a corridor of bars.However, Harrell stressed it's not known yet if either of the drivers involved in Sunday's crash had been drinking, and the results of routine toxicology tests are pending.Martinez-Silva was due in Lafourche Parish court today for a pre-trial hearing on unrelated charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, speeding and not having a driver's license on him, records show.Bayou Blue resident Hollie Lirette, 28, said she's never had a problem with La. 182 before."I've lived here my whole life, and as long as you live here, you know you have to be careful when it's dark," Lirette said.However, Corey LeBouef, 23, who was with her, said he'd be happy to see two extra lanes on La. 182."It's too much traffic for too-small lanes," LeBouef said.Other comments voiced by people who live and work in the area involve common complaints for roads throughout Terrebonne Parish."I often see people speeding like crazy," Lucky's Casino security guard Randi LeBoeuf said.The road is not well-lit, said Houma resident Alita Kennedy. She doesn't drive in the dark in the area if she can help it.Miles away, about an hour earlier, a Raceland resident died after crashing into a tree on La. 182 in Gibson, police said. Tommy Lebouef, 34, hit the tree as he rounded a curve and went off the road, police said. Investigators suspect he had been drinking.

Staff Writer Katie Urbaszewski can be reached at 448-7617 or katie.urbaszewski@dailycomet.com.